2 weeks Ago
— If Party City shuttering burst your balloon, you’ll be delighted to hear that a new balloon store has recently floated into Winchester. Balloon Queens opened its doors in early April on South Braddock Street across from Handley High School, boasting an inventory of birthday, retirement, graduation, holiday, baby shower and miscellaneous balloons, displayed in an organized fashion against the brightly colored walls of a newly renovated space. “They say that if you are excited about your product and you love it that much, then you will be successful,” said owner Felicity Coffey, a Winchester native.
“So, we’re hoping we’re here to stay for a while.” Inside, neon lights line the windows and door frames, accentuating the pink and blue walls. Balloon displays for different types of events sit in each corner, with additional party goods (like tablecloths, plates and pinatas) on nearby shelves.
And if guests want to bring their own balloons, they can utilize the helium service offered in-store. There’s candy in varying pastel shades available at the register, not far from where the store’s first sale — a $20 bill — hangs in a sparkly picture frame. The sweet smell and kid-friendly ambiance of Balloon Queens is akin to an ice cream shop — and many customers have mistaken it for one, according to Natasha Valles, Coffey’s business partner and another Winchester native.
“We picked out the colors for a reason, and it makes it inviting when you come in,” said. “The kids love it. As soon as they come in here, their eyes light up and they go both ways.
That's what we wanted. We wanted to make it feel comfortable for kids to come in and it feels like they want to stay and have fun.” For Coffey and Valles, Balloon Queens is a family affair.
It all started when Valles, a mom of seven, and Coffey, a mom of four, felt like they were throwing birthday parties for their children practically every month of the year. As best friends and nearby homeowners, they would help each other put on extravagant celebrations for the kids, complete with balloon arches for each. Soon, they were asked to do a balloon arch for someone else, which turned out so well it launched a business.
The timing happened to coincide with the closing of Party City, a national chain. After years of struggling, the company announced that all stores would be closed by the end of March. When Coffey and her husband visited the local Party City toward the end of its time in operation, they saw that it was packed with visitors, which led to the realization that there is balloon demand in Winchester.
“People were coming in, getting balloons blown up, and I looked at [my husband], and he goes, ‘Alright, let’s do it,” Coffey said. Whenever Coffey had moments of doubt, Valles was quick to encourage her. Today, after less than one month of having a physical store and about two months of offering balloon arches without a store, Balloon Queens has seemed to blow up with attention on social media and with orders at the shop.
“It’s like, every weekend, we’re booked,” Valles said. They’ve been asked to help with parade floats and grandstand decor for the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, as well as for private events like graduations, bridal showers and birthday parties. "We're just two stay-at-home moms that kind of had an idea and ran with it," Coffey said, "and now we're working moms.
" Their husbands come in to help with the register when the shop is especially busy, and their children are always around in one way or another. Besides family members, they have one other employee, who came from Party City when it shuttered. They call her the “balloon specialist,” Coffey said.
Coffey is almost as excited about the location as the business itself. While she now lives in Glengary, West Virginia, Coffey grew up in Winchester and her mom had a nail salon in a storefront just doors down from where Balloon Queens is now located. It’s a full-circle moment in a location where many people drive by and many people stop in.
Valles, who also grew up in Winchester and now lives in West Virginia, is just excited to be working with her best friend, which is a dynamic that comes naturally. “We just clicked and been inseparable ever since,” Valles said. To learn more about Balloon Queens, located at 918 S.
Braddock St., find or contact or 540-409-6455..
